Setting up your First
Tank
Most ready made set-ups come with some sort of lighting feature. They
are usually quiet sufficient to some plants with low light requirements.
T8 fluorescent bulbs were the standard for many years but lately
manufacturers have changed over to the more efficient T5 bulbs. If you
are planning to grow plants in your tank you should supplement your
bulbs with reflectors. These are an inexpensive way to greatly increase
the amount of light. Should you decide to keep fish that are not
compatible with plants or don not want to keep plants for other reason
you will only need enough light to be able to view your fish. Your
lights should not be on for more than 12 hours each day. You can either
have them on for 12 hours in one go or take a break in the middle of the
day when you are away to work and have them come on in the evening when
you get home. Invest in a timer. The cheapest ones are less than 5 Euros
and will save you switching your lights on and off.
If you bought a tank without lighting and wish to add some you have
several options. You can either buy one of the pendulum luminaries that
have become very popular in recent years. They generally come with T5
bulbs and reflectors already fitted. Just makes sure you buy one that is
suitable for freshwater use. The light colour should be somewhere
between 4000 and 6500 Kelvin. Anything above 8000 Kelvin is for use in
marine tanks.
Another option, especially for tanks with a height of over 60cm, are HQL
and HQI lights. These need a lot of electricity but are able to
penetrate deeper into water. Again make sure you are buying bulbs with
the right light colour.
In the last year or two LED lighting systems have come on the market but
they are prohibitively expensive.
As per usual you can build your own hood and lighting system but please
make sure that all electrical components especially the endcaps conform
to IP67.